Mangaluru: A representation submitted to the Karnataka govt and concerned forest and wildlife authorities has raised concerns over the proposed widening of the Charmadi Ghat section of NH-73.
The area contains old-growth forest, deep valleys and streams, and is ecologically important to the wider Western Ghats landscape, Vivek said. We ask for alternatives, minimum forest diversion, wildlife clearance and mitigation, and landslide and geological assessment to be addressed before the forest clearance proceeds to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change,” Vivek said. The proposed alignment passes through the Charmadi-Kanapady Reserve Forest and the Kudremukh-Pushpagiri tiger corridor linkage identified by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). “We do not question the need for road safety and connectivity on Charmadi Ghat. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in Bengaluru
“This raises a concern that the project proponent may be pursuing the widening piecemeal, rather than as a single corridor-level intervention, in a manner that could limit public and regulatory scrutiny of the cumulative forest loss and environmental impact,” he noted. Further widening towards Mudigere is expected to involve additional forest diversion and tree loss through subsequent road widening packages.